Interesting development, Terry Frei an NHL hockey reporter from the Denver Dost is reporting that former DU head coach
George Gwozdecky will become an assistant coach with the
Tampa Bay Lightning. Actually, I find it surprising since Gwozdecky never played in the NHL.
Terry Frei, Denver Post --- Former University of Denver hockey coach George Gwozdecky has agreed to become an assistant coach with the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, and arring unexpected last-minute snags, an announcement of his hiring will come soon, two college hockey sources confirmed Thursday.
Gwozdecky's firing after 19 seasons at DU — a stint that included back-to-back NCAA championships in 2004 and 2005 — generated controversy last spring, and he since had turned down an opportunity to be the head coach at Alabama-Huntsville. He had a year left on his contract at DU and was expected to sit out the 2013-14 season while waiting to see what other jobs might open on the collegiate level.
But the Lightning will bring in Gwozdecky to work under new head coach Jon Cooper, promoted after three seasons as head coach of Tampa Bay's American Hockey League farm club. Gwozdecky will join Rick Bowness, a veteran assistant who has had several stints as an NHL head coach, on Cooper's staff.
